The enthronement, p.50
The Enthronement, page 50
I glance at the queen, sure she can’t be happy with that promise. But she just smiles tenderly at me.
I take a shaking breath to stop the tears. You will not cry now. You’re on their stage, I berate myself.
“Thank you,” I blink back my tears, “that means a lot.” I put back on my “royal face”.
The king sighs and surprises me with a hug. “You kept my secret. I can pay it back.”
My lip trembles almost violently at his hug. I will it to stop. I return the hug, but I am scared to hold it too long.
I don’t want to feel this way about them. What if this doesn’t work out? Things are hard enough with the idea I’ll lose Gavril, but I don’t want to be this attached to them too.
“I don’t deserve that much payback, but thank you anyway,” I smile. “I wouldn’t dare reject it, your majesty.”
“Be sure we won’t let you go without,” the queen promises. “It’s been tradition time out of mind. If there is space to spare in the palace, it’s open to friends and family who can be trusted. You have proven you can be. When we can, we will help.”
I smile. “You’re too kind. I don’t know how the rest of them can’t see it,” I say honestly.
“Your eyes are open,” the king says. “Most people shut their eyes to what they don’t understand. They prefer their own opinion to the truth.” He takes his wife’s arm again, so we can keep walking. “I’m just glad so many girls are as open as you are. We worried we’d be down to twenty in a day with girls ranting at us.”
I laugh. Well, I am the only girl who had done that, just not to their faces.
We walk around the whole castle in one large rectangle. They even go through the royal beach.
The whole walk takes about an hour where the king mostly makes me and the queen laugh. When we go back inside, Gavril and Sage are crossing the entrance hall. Gavril frowns to see the three of us.
“Ah, just who I wanted to see.” The king goes over to Gavril. Sage fades more into the shadows than normal. “We just had a lovely time with your fighting friend.” Gavril gives an uneasy fake laugh. “And she had some interesting points I want to pick your brains about.” Gavril looks at me like he wants to demand what I’ve done and why he’s in trouble for it. I cover my mouth to hide my laugh. “Do you have a moment?”
Gavril turns a bit pink and glances at me before saying, “Um, sadly no, I have, ah... a date.”
“Ah, of course, how about over dinner then?” the king asks.
“Uh, another date.” The prince turns red.
“Right, right, you have a lot of girls to keep happy,” the king grins like that’s a huge treat.
“Yeah,” the prince sighs and looks at me as if in apology.
“Well, let’s do it over breakfast tomorrow,” the king suggests, “then we can discuss it.”
Gavril smiles, “That sounds like a good idea.”
The queen kisses Gavril’s cheek. “Behave,” she reminds him.
“Mother,” he groans.
“Well, you did kind of struggle the other night,” I point out.
The look Gavril gives me could melt steel. The king laughs heartily and claps his son on the back. Gavril tenses at the touch.
“That’s important. You need to let it loose now and then,” the king says.
“No, a prince should be proper at all times,” the queen corrects.
Gavril gives me a look that says “Oh here we go. What did you start”?
“Well yeah, in public, but he’s dating. Be yourself,” the king says. “Dumb but not too dumb.”
“I don’t think so, Aster.” The queen shakes her head.
“I was,” the king protests. “So why can’t he?”
“Because he’s got to find a girl less gullible than me,” she says, taking her husband’s arm.
“Take what you can get,” the king stage whispers to his son. The queen rolls her eyes. The king just smiles. “Thank you for your time, Lady Kascia,” he nods at me, and I curtsy to them both. They depart for their work.
“Why am I the one in trouble when you talk to them?” Gavril asks me.
“I don’t know. I didn’t say anything,” I defend. “Not that should get you in trouble.”
“I hope so. Dad never asks to talk to me like that.” Gavril glances after them. “Well, I might be alive through the day, but if I pass that, you owe me.”
I laugh. “Alright, I’m sorry if I did get you in trouble,” I sigh. “Well... enjoy your date.”
Gavril gives me another look as if the fact he has to date is my fault too.
I swallow and look away. If I hadn’t reminded him that day, would he really have just devoted himself to me?
“You drive me crazy,” Gavril shakes his head. It makes me laugh. It reminds me of how his parents’ banter. Now I know where he gets his silly side.
When I finally return to the Ladies’ Chamber, the girls corner me.
“How did you get him to kiss you?” Dahlia is the first to accost me.
I jump. “I didn’t ask him to.”
“He still did. Was that the first?” Forsythia joins in.
“I...”
“Let her breathe,” Bella defends me.
“You getting tips from her?” Forsythia sneers.
“Maybe, if you want some you should be nicer,” Bella says.
“What exactly is going on? First, he jumps you, now you’re going on walks with the king and queen.” Ericka pushes forward, her obnoxious dog on her arm. He growls at me.
“I didn’t ask for that either,” I state. “They just wanted to ask me about that night is all.”
“They should have kicked you out. That’s not proper. The prince shouldn’t lunge at you like that with so many people watching,” Ericka says.
“I didn’t ask for it. He did that on his own.” I push past them all to find a place to sit. The princesses are watching us as if we were a mildly interesting performance.
“How did you get him to?” Forsythia demands.
“By doing something he liked, I would assume,” I snap back. “Maybe you should learn to fight.”
“He does favor the two who said they can fight,” Dahlia points out.
“So fencing lessons and get off my back.” I look for a distraction.
“What about the talk? Was it just to tell you to stop kissing the prince like that?” Forsythia mocks.
“Maybe. I was asked not to say.” I pick a book.
“How are you still in the lead? It’s not fair,” Ericka whines. “We behave, and you get all the goods.”
“Maybe you can be nice to him, and maybe he’ll kiss you,” I say.
“How do you know he hasn’t?”
I sigh as I sit down and try to hide behind the book. “I don’t.”
Dahlia looks around the room. “That’s true. We should clear the air then. Maybe she isn't in the lead; she just is more visible. Let’s just get it all out. Who has kissed him?”
I frown, “I don’t think that’s fair to the prince.”
“I don’t think Prince Gavril will mind,” Dahlia sniffs.
I gape at her. I think he would mind having his private matters with his dates being up for display.
“We can keep track,” Forsythia suggests.
“We can use this old board,” Dahlia starts filling out an actual scoreboard with all of our names.
I turn red. “I don’t think that’s fair to him.”
“It’s rather barbaric,” Zelda agrees with me.
“It’s only fair. Then we all know where we are. Then if one of us is getting sent home, we all know,” Dahlia says.
“That's against the rules,” Lilly squeaks.
“Don’t you dare,” I stop Dahlia before she snaps at Lilly. “Do what you want, but I won’t join in,” I say firmly.
“Fine.”
Ericka, Dahlia, and Forsythia work together to make the board and put it up in a corner mostly out of sight.
I look at it, unable to help myself. The left side has all of our names.
At the top, it says what the tick is for and how many points it’s worth. And if you were the first to get something you got double points. My kissing him got me three points. There are also points for: holding hands, cuddling, dates, seeing him shirtless, seeing him in his bedroom, and even a section for getting him in bed. If anyone scores down there, they’re out for sure. I turn back to my book to try to ignore them. Zelda does as well. Only she and I are brave enough to ignore the board.
Once they have finished as much of the board as they can, they round on us for answers.
“Come on, fess up,” Dahlia demands. Lilly looks at us nervously. I think she’s hoping we give in so this can all just stop. I refuse.
“I’m not dropping it until you confess,” Dahlia stands firm.
I ignore her, but she keeps going from me, to Princess Rose, to Zelda, demanding the answers.
After an hour, Princess Rose finally snaps, “Alright, I kissed him once.”
“Ah! So you were first,” Dahlia puts it down.
“No,” Zelda squeaks, “I was.”
“Really?” Princess Rose frowns.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“When was yours,” Zelda shoots back.
“Late last week,” Princess Rose frowns.
“Yeah, it was before that.” Zelda pulls up her tablet.
“Alright, that tallies up the scores.” Dahlia starts. “We just need dates. We’ll go top to bottom. Florence is out with him right now, and including test dates, that makes four for everyone.” Dahlia puts that down. “So, who has extras?”
They go through everyone. I’m still disappointed most participate, even Azalea and Bella. Jonquil, I’m not surprised, but the others bother me. Lilly joins out of fear. I know that. But I expected more of the others. I hate that even I want to look and see where I stand.
A few girls have a few more dates, Elise and Marigold have had five and Rose had six. When it’s all done, I’m still in the lead. I am not highest on dates, but dates are required and only get one point, but my kiss got me three, plus my four dates, and Dahlia guessed I had an average in everything else. I hate that. I shut my book and go up to my room to cool off.
Chapter 41
I avoid the Ladies’ Chamber for the next few days. Zelda agrees and plays more games with me in our rooms or we take up the far corner of the Ladies’ Chamber where Lilly, Bella, Azalea, and sometimes Jonquil will sit in with us or play.
On the last workday, the king looks pretty smug at breakfast, grinning over at us, but not at anyone in particular.
“Do you think there’s a test today?” I ask the others.
I spot Godwin, leaning on one of the pillars that separates the servants’ area from the royal area, watching us with a similar grin. The prince isn’t smiling though. He’s been at meals more often later in the week, still going on a date or two a day but trying to vary the activities more.
“If so, he’s looking forward to it,” Florence frowns in confusion. “And I doubt we’ll enjoy it if he’s that happy.”
“He’s not that mean, is he?” Lilly asks.
“I don’t know. The king likes a good show, and Godwin is another story,” Florence glances back at Godwin over her shoulder. “He’s got a twisted sense of humor.”
Zelda, who was just leaving the table, giggles as she hears the comment. “He’s not that rude,” she assures us, “but... he has a sense of humor that would make the Faku creature happy.” She smiles as she looks at the king a bit more nervously.
I frown, “That can’t be good.”
But after breakfast, no one is called, and we all go to the Ladies’ Chambers. The tension makes us all jump when Dahlia lets out a scream of anger. I drop the book I was trying to be interested in. I spot Princess Zelda scramble not to drop her tablet, sighing in relief when she catches it.
“Who messed with the board?” Dahlia rounds on the whole room, her face red and fuming.
“What are you talking about? I thought you all were the only ones allowed to mark the thing.” I don’t hide my disdain for the thing in my tone.
“What’s wrong with it?” Zelda asks as she checks her tablet isn't broken. “Apart from the fact, it, you know, exists.”
“It’s all changed! And there are new girls on it,” Dahlia snaps. “Did you do it?” She rounds on me.
“No, why would I? If I wanted to dispose of it, I’d throw it off the balcony,” I state honestly.
“And I’d bring it to the king and queen,” Zelda backs me up.
“Then why are you winning by so much?” Dahlia demands of me.
“What?” I look down at the board in her hands where she’d been shaking it at me. The board is about three feet long and two tall. I'm impressed they made our names fit so neatly.
Heat creeps up my cheeks. She’s right, if you don’t count the new names, I am in the lead by more than I’d ever want to admit. My numbers are accurate... or are they? I frown. I have an extra date. My being the first kiss is corrected, and the fact I had two was also corrected. That alone shot me far into the lead.
“Hey, I’m not doing as well as the new names,” I try to point out. But the new names are odd: Ashely, Dalilly, Sadie, and Godwinna. Wait...
“No way has anyone gotten him to bed over a thousand times!” Ericka snaps. She has a point. That slot shows a one thousand plus. The kisses section shows the same.
Ashely left early on. I think she failed her first interview with Gavril. And Dalilly? Isn’t that...
“And who is Sadie?” Zelda frowns.
“And ‘seen with shirt off’ is also really high,” Dahlia snaps.
That was it! “Why is the queen on here?”
“She is not,” Ericka retorts.
“Yes, she is. Dalilly is the queen’s first name,” I point at it. “And both Ashely and the queen have high scores in everything but dates.” Though Dalilly has a few. “So perhaps...” Did I dare say Ashley was a female version of the king’s name? Who would do that? Someone with a great sense of humor.
I recall the king’s smug face this morning. Did he?
“And why does Sadie have date points so high? It’s like she's been on all the other dates,” Forsythia says.
I recall Damian and I had a conversation about handwriting. He’d noticed my handwriting was a lot like my father’s. I wonder if he could prove my theory correct.
“And who thought of adding the queen? That’s not even fair,” Ericka complains. “Of course, she’s put him to bed a million times.”
“It says ‘gets’ him to bed,” Dahlia defends.
“Still, she put him to bed as a baby, right?” Ericka says. “That’s not fair.”
“Maybe the prince thought it funny?” I suggest. But then why add this Sadie? Oh, Sadie... “It’s Sage!” I gasp.
“No!” Zelda bursts into the most unprincess-like laughter I’d ever heard. “It is! He’s been on all of our dates.” She sits down, holding her middle with laughter.
“He does not get a spot!” Dahlia snaps and starts trying to erase it.
Zelda stops her, “I need a picture first.”
“You’re not going to show him!” Dahlia gasps.
“I am too,” Zelda laughs. “He’ll be so embarrassed.”
“But then who adds Ashely back in and the queen?” Forsythia demands.
“With so many points,” Dahlia adds, “and they aren’t allowed. No men without permission.”
“Well, the handwriting doesn’t match.” I’m pretty sure Gavril added ‘Sadie’. It is the kind of thing he’d do. “I bet my attendant could figure it out. He’s good with handwriting. He won’t tell, promise.”
“You’re sure?” Ericka asks.
“Positive. He’s good with secrets.”
“Fine,” Dahlia agrees.
I send a messenger to get Damian, who strolls into the room, giving his cane a twirl as he looks over all of us. “You called for me, my lady?” he says as his eyes rest on me, having glanced at the board first with an arched brow.
“Yes, can you settle a debate for us?” I ask. “I think this is the prince’s handwriting, but the rest doesn’t match,” I point it out.
“The rest of it is supposed to be there. Someone messed with it,” Dahlia says. I sigh. It doesn’t matter.
Damian glances at the board again then to her. “You do realize recording this means nothing, right?”
“That’s not what we asked,” Dahlia snaps. “Who messed with our board?”
Damian sighs and turns to the board, placing his hand to his mouth. He glances down at the name Sadie then back at the queen’s and Ashely’s names. After a few quiet moments, he smiles. “Seems like the prince found your board.”
“But the handwriting for Sadie, or Sage, doesn’t match Ashley or Dalilly,” I point out. “So it was two people.”
“Likely. Though Sage was likely trying to flatten the prince when he was adding this,” Damian says. Some of the girls giggle. “But as for your second mystery writer, it is really quite simple. You can see a similar stroke of the prince’s hand mirrored in the writing here in how the ‘a’ flows to the next letter. However, the prince’s is more perfected than his predecessor. The second writer is freer in his curves but with a right slant to his lines. So, it should be rather obvious. Ashley, as it were, is none other than King Aster himself.”
I knew it!
“That explains all his points,” Lilly says.
“So, he added both parents. Then who messed with our proper tally?” Dahlia wonders.
“That was the prince, of course,” Damian says, pointing to the added tally. “Each line is perfectly straight and if we took a ruler to this, I’m sure we’d find they are actually even.”
“So this tally is more accurate?” Dahlia scans it with more interest.
Curse him. Why did he mess it up? Zelda even went down, giving me the first kiss point.
“Oo, you got more kisses,” Dahlia smiles at me.
“He could be messing with us,” I point out.
“I don’t think so. He took points off,” Dahlia notes. “Florence was lying about her date count.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I point out.
